Life-preserver suit.



J. W, BUCHANAN.

LIFE PRESERVER SUIT. I

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.13,-1912,

Patented May'20, 1913..

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.suit to allowfa person JAMES W. CHANAN, 0F ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

LIFE PRESERVER SUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 13, 1912. Serial No. 720,212.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, AMES W. B CHANAN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Asheville, in the county of Buncombeand State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life Prese'rver Suits; and I do declare the fol- .lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- This invent-ion relates to life preserver "suits and has for its obJect to provide-a suit to be worn by persons for the purpose of causing them'to float indefinitely and to protect them from the cold in such manner that a person can remain in the water for a comparatively long period? of time without v quickly and easily filled with air and can be injury anddistress.

With this object inview the invention consists in the novel construction of the life preserver suit.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the life preserver suit illustrating the same appliedto a person. -Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper front interior portion of the suit, and Fig. 3'is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the suit. Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures in which; 1 f

1 indicates the suit which comprises the bodyportion- 2, leg portions 3,. arm portions 4 and hood or head portion 5. The arm portions 4: are provided with hand portions 6 whilethe leg portions 3 are provided with feet 7 to which suitable weights '8 are secured in the manner as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. c

As will appear from the drawings the entire suit' is formed inseparable and is opened at the top as shown at 9 in Fig.2, the hood'5 being inseparably attached to the back of the suit and formed thereon as shown in Fig. 3 in such manner that a sulficient opening'is' provided at the top of the to enter the suit in this manner as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3. Around the Pody or w'a1stport1on of the Y weights 8 the suit is provided an air chamber 10 surrounding the body of the wearer, said airchamher being formed between the outer Waterproof layer 11 of the suit and the inner air tight layer 12 in the manner as shown in- 3,

while the lower body portions and leg portions of the suit are provided between the outer layer and the inner layer 'with a suitable felt or cotton filling 13 so as to add warmth to the suit and prevent the wearer from the effects of the cold water, it being understood that by reason of the person within the suit floats in an upright or vertical position, thewater 7 line being at a point under the arm pits of the wearer in such manner that all the submerged portion of the wearer is protected against the cold water.

In the front portion of the suit and communicating with the air chamber 10 I provide a small air pump 14 and a vent 15 in such manner that the air chamber 10 can be readily emptied at will. Consequently suits constructed in accordance with this invention can be packed or stowed aboard the ship in a Very compact and convenient manner. 7

On the interior of the upper body portion of the suit and above the air chamber 10 I provide aplurality of pockets 16 which are arranged on the inside of the suit and are not available from the outside in such manner'that any'eatables or drinkables carried in the suit pockets will be protec ed against the watch and can be used at will by the wearer, the whole being arranged in such manner that a suflicient quantity of food and drink can be carried in said pock ets 16 to sustain the person for a sufiicient period of time in order to reasonably insure his rescue. v

As before stat d the hood 5 is formed on the back portion of the suit while about the opening'9 at the top of the body portion I provide a draw shown in the drawings as to draw the upper body portion and lower portion of thehood snugly about the neck of the wearer in the manner as shown in Fig. 1; while I provide around the edge of the'hood' 5 a similar draw string so arranged that the hood can be drawn snugly around the head of the wearer in such manner that only' his face is unprotected in the manner as 111115- trated in Fig. 1. a

Patented May 20, 1913.

string 17 so arranged as.

to the Water,

. ing

Having thus fully described the invention 1 water-proof layer and an inner air tight it is entirely evident from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that a person can quickly enter the suit in the manner as described. After first providing himself with suitable food and drink in the pockets 16 the draw strings 17 and 18 are then drawn closely and snugly into position shown in Fig. 1 and the air chamber 10 is provided with air through the medium of the pump 14 after which the person is ready to take and by reason of the construction of the suit as hereinbefore described he will float in an easy upright position and .be rotected against the severity of the cold and at the same time be maintained in condition to endure the hardships of the water fora considerable period of time.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by, Letters Patent of the United States is A life preserver suit comprising body, arm and leg portions formed integrally and inseparable from one another, a hood portion formed on the back of the suit at the top thereof, the top portion of the suit beprovided with an opening: suflicient-ly large to allow ingress of a person to the suit, the said suit comprising an outer layer, the lower body portion andleg portions of the suit being provided with a cold resisting filling material, the central body portion of the suit between the two layers providing an air chamber, an air pump connected to the said air chamber to inflate the same, a vent communicating with the said air chamber to deflate the same, the entire body portion of the suit being provided wit-h a plurality of pockets available from the inside of the suit, the upper body por tion of the suit adjacent the hood portion being provided with a draw string to close the said opening and to cause the said suit to snugly encompass the neck of the wearer, the outer portion of the hood being provided with a draw string to cause the saidhood to snugly encompass the head of the wearer in such manner that the face alone is exposed, and a suitable Weight arranged under each foot portion of the suit, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WV. BUCHANAN.

lVitness'es:

J. B. CAIN, M. ERWIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Patents Washington, I). C." a 

